Preservation of RNA and morphology in cells and tissues

Abstract

A solution for preservation and/or storage of a cell or tissue is described. This simple nonaqueous composition can have 10% polyethylene glycol and 90% methanol. It can be used at room temperature. Special chemicals, equipment, and techniques are not needed. Tissue preserved with and/or stored in the solution can be processed for cytology or histology, including chemical staining and/or antibody binding, by a variety of methods; antigen, DNA, and RNA can be extracted from processed tissue in high yield and with minimal or no degradation. Advantages of the solution include: economy and safety, easy access to archival material, and compatibility with both cellular and genetic analyses. The use and manufacture of the solution are also described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.